Animorphs - Spliced
by montysaurus
Summary: Elfangor crashes to earth, severely wounded, looking for the Time Matrix. He gives five teenagers the power to morph. Sounds familiar right? Well this time, a voice starts talking to Elfangor, begging him to morph and escape. This voice used to be human. This voice had read the Animorphs books as a child. But does this voice have all the answers?
1. The Beginning

**Chapter updated on 14/11/19. I wanted to lay some AU parts of the setting into the story without too much exposition dumping, as well as polish some dialogue.**

My name is Robert. Or at least I think it was.

I was confused. The last thing I remember was the rain, heavy on my windshield, and the sound of tires squealing, metal crumpling and brief, horrifying pain.

Everything was felt strange. I felt a terrible pain in my side, except my "side" was much lower on my body than I was used to, and felt weak and achy all over. Like I had run a marathon and my whole body couldn't get enough oxygen. I could see some teenagers standing in front of me, but I could also see a large metallic hulk behind me. It was sleek, with graceful lines that spoke of fine craftsmanship. How was I doing that? How could I see forward and behind at the same time? I expected vertigo, nausea caused by spinning my head too rapidly, but nothing came.

[WHAT IS THIS?] a voice cried out. But strangely. Echoing, yet not echoing. In my head instead of anywhere around me. [WHAT ARE YOU DOING?]

[I- I'm not doing anything. I don't know where I am. Who are you?] I replied the same way. It was the strangest feeling. Of meaning given ghostly structure and pushed across. Away.

[I am Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul. War-Prince of the Andalite people. I await my death in peace. I have carried the lines far enough; I have done my part.]

The name was a beacon to my mind. I had only come across a name like that once in my life when I read the Animorphs books as a child. What had happened? Had I died? Was I somehow in a world with Andalites and Yeerks? Was my fate to die again? I vaguely recalled that Elfangor's death had something to do with one of those ridiculous over compensatory morphs Visser Three favoured. Right. Eaten alive.

No. I wasn't going to die. Not again at any rate. And not like that. Whatever had happened to me, now wasn't the time to sit back and take stock of things. Now was the time for action.

[Nobody else is dying today Elfangor. We have to get out of here now. You can morph, can't you?]

[What are you and how do know that?] His words, thought speech I recalled, were laced with suspicion.

Below that, I felt undercurrents of exhaustion, weariness, and sorrow. Thought speech was nothing like I expected it to be. There were words, yes. But there were feelings, both simple and complex. Images too, though of what I wasn't entirely sure. Entire essays could be written about the simplest of thought speech communiques.

[It's not important right now. What's important is that you're going to die in a few minutes if you don't morph.] I said. I tried to send something across the way he had. Resoluteness I guess. Hope. Or maybe just the bone-deep will to survive.

[It is not so simple as that. I have foreseen it. I know that the line of my fate ends here. I am a warrior, I will face my death with courage.] Elfangor said. He was taking this very seriously. I vaguely remember reading the Andalite Chronicles book and disliking how nihilistic Elfangor got at the end.

[Why are you just waiting to die? This is so irrational!] I said. I felt like any chance of figuring out what was going on was slipping away from me. Great, I had just maybe died only to die again.

[What I am doing is far from irrational], Elfangor answered. [They will not capture me. I know Visser Three will not permit me to live as it would lower his own prestige as the only Andalite host. When he kills me, he will be satisfied and let down his guard. This means that the Yeerks will not be looking for any other survivors. My death will help keep the young humans safe.] Crap, that actually made sense. No, it didn't matter. I had to survive damn it!

I looked over at the group. Wow, either they were older than 13, or teenagers in this universe were fed growth hormones. Jake was a tall glass of water. So was Rachel. Cassie had curves. Marco had that fuzzy goatee/moustache combo that so many guys tried to grow in high school. Tobias' face had the same, but even scragglier. They were clearly on the other end of puberty from what I was expecting. I gave myself a mental shake. There were more pressing matters at hand.

[Elfangor, look at them. They're barely adults, basically children. Clueless human children. The things they will have to do, the pieces of themselves they'll have to sacrifice. You could help them so much. You could save so many if you would just save yourself!]. My rudimentary thought speech skills were employed to their maximum. [Aximili is still alive! You can save him if you survive this], I tried to include my vague memories of what I remembered of the book series. Aximili, alone and light-years away from his family, his people. Rachel sliding slowly into monstrousness. Jake becoming a human statue, the weight of his decision leaving him permanently scarred. Tobias, Elfangor's sort-of-son, a nothlit, set apart. Cassie forced to make ugly choices, risk everything that made her who she was. Marco made to plan his own mother's death, to push her off a cliff instead of holding her close.

[What would you have me do? Who are you? How are we speaking? I can feel your presence. Is this some new Yeerk trick?]

[Tell the children to run away now, morph into something bird-like and let's get out of here. There's no time for in-depth explanations! The Yeerks are on their way here. I am no Yeerk trick! Can't you tell? I'm a human. Or was.]

I could feel his wordless acquiescence. Whatever he said to the teens, I could see them leaving reluctantly, Tobias sending searching looks back as he ran away. I felt an itchy sensation crawl across my body. My Andalite body. I couldn't afford to think too much, to distract Elfangor. I tried my best to be unobtrusive in his mind, although how I was doing it and how successful I was at this I had no way to measure.

Elfangor was exhausted, had expected to meet his death with dignity and steel-backed Andalite honour. Yet he was still a War-Prince. Still an Andalite warrior who had used morphing more than most. He morphed into a six-winged bird and just in time. A Bug Fighter became visible in the sky just as his/my morphed form had settled. I remembered now, a kafit bird. From the Andalite homeworld. It was a bit awkward to start off from the ground, but it was possible. Elfangor readied the bird's powerful wings for an explosive take-off-

[WAIT! THE THING! THE MORPHING CUBE!] I shouted mentally. Loud and urgent. [Pick it up when you go, or the Yeerks might find it!]

I felt a wave of gratitude wash over Elfangor. He must have realized that he was waiting for his death with the morphing cube close by, within reach of the Yeerks. It was a miracle they hadn't found it in the books. I was glad that it wasn't going to happen now.

With a clumsiness that felt jarring, Elfangor hobbled his/my new body across the ground, and with some fumbling picked up the blue cube from the place it lay hidden. Clutching the blue cube in his lower wings, taking off was a considerably more daunting prospect. With some more fumbling and a false start, we were airborne. The wind rushed past, and suddenly we were far in the air. The morph's eyesight wasn't the best, but I could see pinpricks of light beneath us. I felt an explosion behind us. Good thinking Elfangor.

The cube wasn't very big or heavy, but what's light to an Andalite or human is heavy to an exhausted bird. We flew for what seemed like miles before we finally landed in a clearing next to a forest. His/my body itched and crawled and I felt myself shooting up like a weed. Growing several feet. Limbs fused, joints reoriented. I could feel organs in his/my body rearranging themselves and growing or shrinking. Morphing was everything the books described and more. It wasn't so much painful as it was full of sensations. I could see why an exhausted person might not immediately look at morphing as a way out of a sticky situation.

I was preparing myself. Martialling my resources for what I expected to be a long and detailed discussion between the two of us. The Andalite and the voice in his head. But instead, Elfangor found slipped through brambles into a gap in the bushes and stood still.

Before I could utter a word, sleep claimed me.

I woke the next morning to dawn light. The sky was alight with pinks, blues and oranges. Birds were calling in the distance.

[Hello.] Elfangor was awake again.

[Hello], I replied [Boy am I glad we survived that!]

[Who are you and what are you doing inside my head? How did you show me pictures of the future? How do you know Aximili survived?] Elfangor asked. He was curious, wary, ready to confront me. I had to take a while to gather my marbles.

[My name is, or was, Robert. I was a human, a man. I grew up reading a series of books, called the Animorphs. It was a story about Yeerks that invaded Earth, and the heroes of the story were a band of children given the power to morph by an Andalite named Elfangor. I grew up, mostly forgot about the stories of my childhood. I was driving my car to work in bad weather when suddenly, everything stopped. I guess I must have been in an accident. The next thing I know, I'm looking through your eyes, talking to you in your head.] I told him. [In the story I read, Visser Three killed you last night. The kids bumbled along, getting endlessly traumatized along the way, and eventually won the war. I stopped reading before the last books came out, but it was apparent that the stories main theme was the horrors of war.]

[How is that possible? How could you have read about what has not happened? How could you be in my mind?] Elfangor asked. His scepticism had peaked.

[I don't know how or why I'm here. I remember from the books that there were these powerful being, the Ellemist and Crayak. It could have been them?]

[You know of the Ellemist?]

[Like I told you, I read all of this in a story when I was a child. If anyone could have done this, it would probably be him. It. Whatever]

[I will hear more of what you have to say. You mentioned there were several books and you read most of them? Will you tell me what happens? If your knowledge proves accurate, it would be a great boon in the fight against the Yeerks.] Elfangor said. I could feel his scepticism ebbing. He was working to build a rapport with me now. I had to prove his trust was correct, I had to think carefully and try to remember all the details.

[I'll try to remember as best as I can. What I recall right now is that your brother is still alive! He's trapped in the Dome underwater somewhere out off the coast. There are alien civilizations already hiding amongst the humans before you and the Yeerks ever arrived here. The Chee are peaceful androids that have crazy advanced technology. Oh, and they love dogs!]

[That is preposterous! We would have known if there were any advanced civilizations on this planet], Elfangor replied. [Although... I would not be too surprised-]

[Because of the Time Matrix?], I asked. [Yes, it seems like Earth holds quite a few ancient secrets. The Chee were the creations of the Pemalites, an advanced race much older than the Andalites. I'm pretty sure they were another favourite race of the Ellemist's until the Howlers wiped them out. They fled here, where their servants have lived in hiding ever since.]

[They have super-advanced hologram tech. Good enough to fool Yeerk and Andalite alike. They've actually infiltrated the Yeerks, and in the books, they give information to the Animorphs to foil the Yeerk plans!]

[So it would seem. I will have to verify their existence before I can trust that what you are saying is accurate. Do you know how to find these Chee?] Elfangor asked.

[The Chee in the books that the Animorphs talked to was called Erek King, so I think you could look for the King family. I hope that's enough?]

[That is helpful. I will endeavour to blend myself into human society and track down these so-called 'super-advanced androids'. I do hope what you are telling me is correct.]

[I hope it is too Elfangor. Hey, can I call you Elf for short?]

[No you may not Robert. First of all, that name is ridiculous. Secondly, you are not using a mouth to speak and thus do not save time by contracting it.]

[Awww, well you can't blame a guy for asking! Anyway, I'll just be here with you trying to remember more things. I wish I had done a re-read. I had just done one for the Harry Potter books.]

[If you remember anything particularly pressing, please let me know.] Elfangor said.

I remained silent and just observed what was going on. I wondered what he would do. I knew he had spent years on Earth before, trapped as a nothlit in human form. I wondered if he still had those morphs.

My curiosity was satisfied a few hours later, as he used a seagull morph to get to the Marina. The gull took lazy turns through the mid-morning air, flapping its wings desultorily.

[What are you gonna do now?] I asked him.

[You shall see shortly.] Elfangor replied. He sounded smug.

Suddenly he swooped down, gaining speed until he was level with the decking of a restaurant. He sped past several shocked people until he snatched up something flat and square. As we flew away I heard cursing from the tables. I could recognize the shape of a wallet being held in the beak.

He flew into an empty alleyway, morphed into a human. He took out the wad of cash from the wallet, chucked everything else in a nearby dumpster, and walked out onto the sidewalk. Thankfully, his human morph had on a white crop top shirt and very short very fluorescent shorts. Painfully 80's, but it wouldn't get us in trouble for public indecency.

[So you retained all your morphs from when you were here before?] I asked.

[You read about that in these books of yours?] Elfangor asked back.

[Yeah, and about Arbron and Alloran, and all your adventures before you returned to your homeworld! It was one of my favourites.]

[I see.] he said. His words were filled with forbidding, as if a heavy iron door had slammed into me. Clearly, I would need to choose my words with care.

[What are you going to do with that money?]

[I will go and purchase some respectable clothes, as well as some information sources, then I will proceed to a bank to see if any of the resources I left behind remain. If so I will use these to find human accommodation, a base from which to operate.]

[That sounds like a good plan, don't let me keep you!] I replied.

We were in a Motel 6. This was not the "human accommodation" I had in mind when Elfangor told me of his plans. We sat in the room, with bags of new clothes, maps of the city and real estate listings. Elfangor sat with the phone book open, looking through entries to track down the King family. He made no notes, nor did he speak to me, so I decided to ask him first.

[Have you found any likely candidates?] I asked.

[Yes, there are three households that may house the family we seek. What is left is for us to conduct surveillance on the three until we can determine if any of them are the beings we seek.]

[I remember something now. One of the Animorphs uses a spider morph of some kind and it sees through the hologram. We could use that to speed up the search! And remember I said they love dogs. If the family doesn't own dogs, they probably aren't the right ones.]

[That is useful information. I may go about acquiring such a morph to aid my endeavour. Is there anything else you can recall?]

[One more thing. There are more Andalite survivors!], I said. It had just occurred to me. I remember feeling so sorry for them when I read that book about morphing bees.

[What? How are you just remembering this now?], Elfangor demanded.

[I'm sorry, this was a long time ago. I'll need more time to wrack my brains for what I'm forgetting. Their names were... Gafinilan and Mertil, yes that's right].

[Gafinilan-Estrif-Valad and Mertil-Iscar-Elmand? These are glad tidings indeed. Mertil is renowned for his piloting skills, one of the best in the fleet. Gafinilan is not only a formidable warrior but a skilled engineer. Rare amongst warriors in this time. Where are they?] Elfangor pressed.

[It's not so simple, or so happy I'm afraid. Mertil is not morph-capable, and from what I remember in the books, he was injured when their crafts crashed down. He lost part of his tail and lives in isolation. And Gafinilan has some type of fatal disease that even Andalites can't cure. They're both in no shape to help out.]

[Mertil has been made a vecol?] Elfangor asked. I could feel the shock in his words, and the revulsion hidden but still palpable. [This is grave news indeed. And I recall Gafinilan being diagnosed with a predisposition to Soola's Disease. It should not have affected him for many many years. The stress of the crash and caring for his shorm may have triggered it early.]

[You won't even need them. The Chee are super-advanced. All you need to do is get them to build weapons and ships and it's all a wrap. I don't know why the Animorphs never asked them in the books.] I said. I was trying to keep his hopes up. His shock and sorrow at my news still filled the air.

[Is that what happened in these books you read? Did the Chee build some super-weapon and the day was saved?] Elfangor asked.

[No. I don't know why they never asked the Chee for weapons. I guess there wouldn't have been much of a story otherwise. Also, the Animorphs didn't meet Gafinilan and Mertil until much later. I have no idea where they are, or how to find them.] I said.

[It is no matter. Now that I have hope they are alive I will search for them. I know what Andalite society demands of vecol, but we are in a time of war. We must push such outdated customs aside and stand together.] Elfangor said. [I also doubt that these Chee would have such a convenient solution within their power.]

[Well, we won't know until we meet them, so let's go. We also need to do something about those humans you gave morphing powers to.] I said. [Also, where is the morphing cube?]

[I shall do all those in time. I told the human youths to wait for me to find them. Remember that I have not verified that your information is accurate. I must first find the Chee, and treat with them. Only then can I turn my attention to other matters.] Elfangor said. [The Escafil device is safely stored on my person. It was foolish of me to leave it on the ground while I was morphing yesterday. An error I shall endeavour not to repeat].

And with that, the matter was closed and we left the motel for some human-watching. Elfangor used another bird morph this time, a peregrine falcon. I think. This gave me pause because I realized I couldn't remember reading about him morphing a falcon. I couldn't remember the Animorphs being so grown either. I could have sworn the books had them as 13-year olds. I had read the books at that age after all.

[I don't remember you having a seagull morph. Or a hawk morph.] I told Elfangor. We were drifting up in the air. I guess we caught a thermal. Elfangor must be a pretty experienced morpher.

[You did not read about them in those books you spoke of?] Elfangor asked. I could feel his interest peak.

[No. From what I remember the story went straight from you arriving on Earth to becoming Alan Fangor].

[It was several months before I was ready to trap myself in a human morph. I was busy laying the groundwork for a full human identity, something I am benefitting from now. Some of that required moving in and around humans without detection. It is also just good sense to acquire useful morphs. My earlier adventures on other planets proved as much.] Elfangor replied. [You realize that this does not fill me with confidence in your knowledge?]

[Hey! I'm trying my best here. I'm telling you everything I know. There must be a reason why I'm here with you.] I said. [How are you going to find the houses from way up here?]

[I memorized the city maps while I was going over them. I will soon arrive above the location of the first house. I will observe for one earth hour, then return. I will rotate between the three houses, and do so for three days, or until I see an indication that I have the right family.]

Elfangor banked to the left and soon we began flying in lazy circles around a particular neighbourhood. I lost track of how much time had passed, but it was probably around thirty minutes. Elfangor had everything planned out. Maybe this would be easy? As I looked through the falcon's eyes at whatever Elfangor was looking at, I saw a man walk out of the house, pulled along by four happy, tail wagging doggies.

That went quicker than I thought. Huh.

**I'm still very much a baby fanfic writer and appreciate any and all constructive feedback.**


	2. The Android

My name is Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul. I am a son, a big brother and a friend. I am a warrior. A hero to my people. A monster to their enemies.

It is a strange feeling. To live beyond your destined time. Every moment is greeted with wonder. Despite the constant activity and frantic planning of the past day, I could not shake this feeling.

I was in human morph, in my old guise of Alan Fangor. I had recovered much of the resources I had amassed while in my old life here on Earth. The cab I had hired to take me to the King residence had almost reached its destination. The neighbourhood was typical American suburban. The uniformity of the houses was eerie. I felt a pang of longing. It had been far too long since I walked through the glade near the scoop I grew up in, each tree a different voice, a unique life. I had not spoken with the heart of my Garibah in years. Could I one day?

[Is this the house?] Robert asked.

There was a voice inside my head named Robert. Ordinarily, that would be cause for great concern. Most Andalite warriors would be wary of their worst nightmare coming true. A Yeerk infestation. Other sentients' fears would be far more prosaic. A voice speaking in one's head was a sign of mental illness in most known species, including mine.

And yet I was not too perturbed by this. The direction of my life had been de-railed completely by the Ellemist several times. He had once plucked me and my companions from the Event Horizon of a black hole. Another time, he had taken me from one planet, changed my body and removed my nothlit status, at placed me back amongst my people. What was a voice in the head compared to that?

There was also the fact that I could feel the voice's innate humanness through our thought speech conversations. No Yeerk would manage that.

[Yes, this is the one. Let us hope our gambit is successful.] I replied.

After paying for the cab and thanking the driver, I stood on the sidewalk, contemplating the house. I decided that a direct approach was best. If needed I could fight my way out, or die trying. I walked the up the path to the front door, still scanning for clues. At times like these, I missed having a normal amount of eyes. The door looked completely innocuous. I rang the doorbell. After 10 seconds, I rang it a second time.

"Just a minute!" called a voice from inside.

A human female opened the door. She looked like a typical suburban mom, middle-aged, in casual dress.

"Hello. Is there something I can help you with?" she asked.

"Hello. Yes, there is. My name is Alan Fangor, and I'm here to talk about a slug infestation." I answered.

"A slug infestation? I'm sorry, but I think you have the wrong house."

"These slugs, they're funny little things. They live in pools and sometimes crawl into people's ears. I hear they're not from around here."

Her face suddenly became blank. There was no trace of friendly suburban mom on it. She stepped back from the door.

"I'm sorry, I don't understand what you're getting at. Who are you again?"

My gambit had worked. She showed recognition of the Yeerks, and her guarded manner was a slight giveaway that she knew what I was talking about.

"My name is Elfangor. I came on a Dome ship a few days ago, but we lost the battle and the ship." I told her.

[This is how you introduce yourself to the Chee? This is the tack you take? Wow, Andalites must suck at diplomacy.] Robert said.

[It saves time.]

"Perhaps you should come inside," she said. She moved further away from the door and I followed after her.

The house was an immaculate cover. I doubt I could do better. Every object, every room, seemed at once utterly normal and utterly boring.

"I assume you are an Andalite in morph. There will be time to demorph later, please refrain from doing so now." She said.

"I will follow your advice, for now, thank you. I would like to know your name please." I replied.

"My current name is Betty King. Come this way," she said. She led me through the house to the basement door. We soon reached the basement, and stood there. The sensations from my inner ear told me we were descending rapidly. Truly immaculate cover. We stood in silence as the basement/elevator worked.

[Whoa! This is just like the books! We're gonna come out to a whole area filled with dogs!] Robert said.

[It is very encouraging that your knowledge has proven correct in this instance. Is there anything else you can tell me about these Chee before further discussions take place?] I asked him.

[They love dogs. They're crazy pacifists. And they're super strong! That's about all I remember sorry.]

That was still more than nothing, and his knowledge had lead me to this point, to meeting mysterious Android allies with advanced hologram technology.

The basement/elevator came to a stop, and one side of the wall disappeared. I felt the urge to test whether their holograms were solid, but felt it prudent to wait till after discussions were held. We walked through this dark passage until it emerged into golden light. True to Robert's word, there was a vast chamber filled with grass, trees and dogs. I was optimistic about a group of beings who would take the trouble to create a natural environment such as this. Surely we could come to a mutually beneficial arrangement.

"You can demorph now, whenever you want to. Many who should talk to you are not here. I have already signalled for their presence and they should be here within an hour. Will that be alright?" Betty asked.

[That is acceptable] I replied. I had already begun demorphing. The grass was real grass, and tasted, if not amazing, at least palatable. Some dogs had run over to investigate me, and I gingerly patted one of them on the head.

"You seem to be accustomed to dogs. How long have you been on Earth?" she asked.

[Our fleet lost the battle just over 48 hours ago. I have visited Earth once before, and that is where I gained the guise of my human morph.]

"I had a background check run on you based on your human morph's name and face. Your human morph appeared as a real person, who went to college and got jobs. The authenticity of the identity suggested you had been here on Earth earlier. I am glad that we are starting off well, by telling the truth. This is a promising sign." Betty said.

[Of course I would tell the truth. I have nothing to gain by lying to you.] I replied.

"How did you learn of our existence? We have taken great care to hide ourselves from all beings on Earth."

[I have gained some insight on the situation here on Earth. It was not given through normal means, but by means provided by the Ellemist.] I replied. Honesty was a refuge, but I wanted to maintain my credibility. Voices in the head were not a great helper of credibility.

[Smooth dude. Real smooth.] Robert interjected. I wordlessly chided him, I didn't need distractions while trying to talk to a new potential ally.

"The Ellemist? Yes, we Chee know of him. He was fond of our creators. Some Chee argue it was this fondness that planted the seeds of their destruction."

[There is much that I need to do, but I first thought of approaching your people, to see if there was anything you could do to help]. I replied.

"The others will join us here soon. For my part I will try to assist you in any way I can." Diana said, smiling at me. "While we are waiting, I will tell you the history of the Chee."

I was glad that I had already gained the approval of one of them.

We were not waiting for long. In 30 minutes I saw several Chee make their way from another side of the field. A male human, seemingly of an age with Betty. A teenage human that shared their visible traits. And an older woman, who seemed upset.

As they approached I decided to introduce myself.

[Greetings. My name is Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul. Prince of the Andalite people. I am a survivor of the lost GalaxyTree.] I said.

"Hello. You can call me Barney King," the one wearing the guise of an adult human male said.

"Hello. You can call me Erek King," the one who looked like a juvenile human male said.

"My name is Chee-Lonos. As you have already been informed, we are Chee." The remaining Chee said. "Let us get this meeting over with."

So this meeting would have three friendly parties and one hostile or ambivalent. I had dealt with worse odds before.

[As I said. I am a survivor of the Andalite Dome ship GalaxyTree. We were sent to deal with the Yeerk invasion of this planet. Unfortunately, our intelligence regarding their fleet numbers and composition was wildly inaccurate. We were outmatched when our Dome ship was flanked by a new Yeerk ship type and destroyed.] I spoke to them as I normally would to other Andalites, projecting images and emotions with my speech. I was doubtful that it would help sway them, but I would use every tool and skill I had. [I come to you now to humbly request any aid or assistance you can give me in my efforts to contain or stop the Yeerk invasion.]

"We have been covertly monitoring the Yeerk invasion since close to its inception. Their actions have been concerning. We have infiltrated their databases and found much to think about." Barney King said.

"Some of us, including myself, pose as Controllers in order to gain access to Yeerk bases. We hold Yeerks captive in our heads and trick them into thinking that everything is proceeding normally." Erek King explained. He dropped his hologram shell, and his true form was exposed. Erek was metal and polymer, a vaguely canine biped. In place of a cranial cavity, a Yeerk was being held with thousands of nano-wires. While I felt a brief twinge of pity for it, I also appreciated the humour that such a dangerous brain parasite could be so thoroughly entrapped.

[Do you release the Yeerk to feed at the Yeerk pool?] I asked.0

"We are capable of doing that, as the Yeerk has been fed false information all this time. However, it is much more convenient to feed it Kandrona internally and send a hologram in its place." Erek explained.

[So you project a hologram of the Yeerk into the Yeerk pool? Yeerks perceive their surroundings using electro-reception and echolocation. Your holograms can fool those senses as well?] I asked further.

"Our creators, the Pemalites, were advanced beyond any other species we have yet encountered. In the fields they mastered, such as energy/matter projection, we have not yet found their equal. Our holograms evince anything we want subjects to perceive across the electromagnetic spectrum. They are also solid and can take on any texture required of them."

[I told you they were awesome! This is gonna be easy as pie!] Robert interjected.

[Your enthusiasm is commendable Robert. Please remain silent for now and let me concentrate.] I told him.

[That is quite marvellous technology you have. While Andalites have stealth holograms, and the Yeerks stole the technology from us, ours are nowhere near as sophisticated.] I told them.

"That is something I wish to discuss! Yeerk technology has clear Andalite antecedents at every level! Yeerk databases tell a story of Andalite enslavement, and the Yeerk escape from their homeworld." Chee-Lonos interjected. "Why should we trust you or even consider giving you aid?"

[Andalites do not enslave anybody. That is pure Yeerk propaganda and projection of their own Empire building!] I replied immediately. I tried to project all the truth I knew into my thoughts. [Andalites have mapped this sector of space decades ago. We have always left the humans in peace, awaiting the day they would meet us in interstellar space as a z-space capable species. If Yeerk propaganda were to be believed, we would have destroyed or enslaved this planet long ago.]

I needed to keep a calm head. Anger would not help convince them of my intentions.

"And yet Yeerk technology retains so many similarities to Andalite technology. We would like to know what the connection is there." Chee-Lonos pressed on.

[We Andalites have long been explorers and diplomats. Almost as long as we have been z-space capable, we have mapped the stars, eager to meet new minds and trade in new ideas. We have met and come to agreement with over 10 sapient species. As a policy, we stay away from intelligent species who are not z-space capable. The Yeerks. The Yeerks are an object lesson in why that is the case.] I explained.

[Initially we did not detect their presence on their homeworld. They built no cities. They did not travel the land or air in machines. They had no farms, groves or pastures. They did not even have fire. There was a Scientific Mission sent to explore and catalogue the flora and fauna of the planet. This is standard practice once it is confirmed that a living planet does not harbour sapient life.]

[The Leader of that mission was Prince Seerow. He was a brilliant scientist, kind and trusting. This was to be his undoing. He noticed patterns of intelligence in individuals of a certain terrestrial species called Gedds. It was he who taught them Galard, the lingua franca of this arm of the galaxy, and it was he that deduced that it was a mollusc-like parasite that infested the Gedd that was motivating this intelligence.] I continued.

[This was a significant event in scientific and exploratory circles, for a Science Mission to detect sapient life that the Exploration Mission failed to detect. He acquired more support and crew, and began to teach and interact with more and more Yeerks, in order to record their culture as it existed in its pre-industrial state. At this time, it was not suspected at all that they were capable of infesting species other than their Gedd hosts, nor did we suspect that any Yeerks had plans of expansion and enslavement. He even designed a portable Kandrona transmitter, in order to invite some on trips into interstellar space. He had called several large transport ships to the Yeerk homeworld in preparation for just that.]

"So you broke your own laws, and let loose the Yeerk plague upon the Galaxy?" Chee-Lonos asked.

[That is an unfair summation of events. We had no law as such, it was just a policy that was followed for the most part. As an Andalite Mission had already made landfall, Prince Seerow thought to take events by the tail. In the end, while Seerow was off-planet visiting with his family, a group of Gedd controllers laid hands on some weapons, massacred the crew of the Mission, commandeered all the transport ships, stole much of then-current Andalite scientific and engineering data, and escaped off-planet with the contents of several Yeerk pools. Our estimate is that they stripped the population of about a quarter of the planet-side pools, as well as around ten thousand Gedd hosts.] I answered.

[Caution has been encoded into law since then, the Law of Seerow's Kindness. We also have much stricter security and data protocols around our Missions. It was a tragic event that we are determined never to repeat. We fight to contain the Yeerks now, partly because we did play a part in their origin but partly because it is the right things to do. Slavery, theft and murder are never things to turn a blind eye towards.] Chee-Lonos was silent, just staring at me. I suppose my explanation would suffice, for now.

"We had figured a similar story based on our best analysis of the situation." Barney said. "It is good to have this confirmed by an Andalite source."

"As was said before, we are willing to assist you within reason. What is it you would like assistance with?" Betty asked.

[There is a matter of some urgency I need your assistance with. I am certain I am not the sole survivor. There were more than three thousand Andalites on board the Dome, Stalk and various small fighter craft.] I laid my case out. [I would like your assistance with locating any survivors and any wreckage that endures in salvageable fashion planet-side. I assume that some of this wreckage has been found relatively intact, if you were able to compare our technology to that of the Yeerks.]

"You assume correctly. This is a reasonable request, and one that we are glad to help you with." Betty replied.

[There is another request I have. As you must know, the Yeerks have a significant advantage, both in numbers and in infrastructure. Are you able to perform an equalizing role?] I asked. [Will you be able to make transports, weapons and other such gear needed for a war effort? From the information I have, the GalaxyTree Dome sits underwater off the nearby coast damaged but relatively intact. Would you be able to make repairs or alterations to it?]

"Now your request ventures into the unreasonable." Barney answered. "First of all, as was explained earlier by Betty, we are strict pacifists by programming. We cannot build weapons, this would be tantamount to using them. And even if we wanted to, our creators did not build weapons, and therefore we do not possess the knowledge to do so."

[What? No fair! This is bullshit!] Robert chimed in silently.

"We do not have infinite resources here on Earth." Chee-Lonos interjected again. "We are restricted to what stores remain from the Pemalite craft we arrived on, as well as what we have managed to extract natively so far. Why would we use these scarce resources to help you?"

[I was given to understand that the Chee love dogs?] I asked in reply.

"Yes, you were told this clearly. They are the last pieces we have of our creators." Chee-Lonos answered.

[Well you may not have discovered this, but on Yeerk controlled worlds, they do something they call "bio-pruning". Their inadequate and ugly understanding of exobiology is used to massively reduce the biodiversity of a planet to the bare minimum needed for their host species to survive.] I said. [It is highly unlikely that dogs would be on this short-list of species. They are not widely used as a food source, and of course, their utility as companions would be lost on the Yeerks.]

[This is abhorrent to Andalites. We hate destroying life. All three Andalite colony worlds were terraformed from lifeless worlds. The Yeerks have no such appreciation or patience for any species they cannot find an immediate use for.] I pressed on.

"You make a convincing case. We will help locate any survivors and reunite them with you." Barney said. "We have already salvaged most of the Andalite wreckage, and are willing to repair the Dome and any craft that are identified as salvageable. We cannot guarantee the possibility of anything until we have assessed its current state. We are not able to repair any damaged weapons, nor replace any used armament."

[On behalf of Andalites everywhere, I thank you. You have done a great deed this day, both for my people and the people of Earth.] I told all of them. I inclined my body and tail in the classical Andalite gesture of obeisance and gratitude.

"Do you have any other questions Elfangor?" Betty asked.

[I do.] I said. [What would you have done if I were a hostile party at the door?]

"Just because Chee are pacifists does not mean we are weak or slow. We would have evacuated all signs of our presence at the house within seconds." Betty answered. "We have survived for thousands of years on Earth, and in that time we have occasionally come under the risk of exposure. Our standard response is evacuation, erasure of evidence and distraction by other covert agents."

[Consider my curiosity satisfied.] I replied. I was glad I had not tried to involve their own personal safety in the calculus to request assistance.

"Let's get to that Dome then," Erek said.

The process entailed in my acquiring a shark morph was convoluted. We were in deep water beyond sight of the shore. Erek, his hologram stripped away, had found a suitable shark and was holding it still above the surface. These peaceful Chee were extremely strong. I landed on the ocean surface in gull morph, and began to demorph as quickly as I could. I used my tail to acquire the shark's DNA, Erek having warned me that its skin was quite rough.

[Trust me, this is just like the morphing shenanigans that happened in the books!] Robert said.

[These books are promising to be an excellent resource. Without their information, I would have been lost.] I told him. [Thank you Robert.]

[Aww shucks. I'm just telling the truth as I remember it.] He replied.

I was currently in the body of a large mako shark. Not the largest of the extant shark species, but large and powerful enough. The shark mind was quite simple and distinct. It seemed to rely on a few very powerful instincts, to search for prey, to chase prey and to feed. It seemed fascinated by the metallic creature swimming through the ocean alongside it.

The Chee did not use any sort of transport to get from place to place rapidly, and so it was decided we would swim towards the suspected location of the Dome together. Erek informed me that they had taken my directions and located the Dome on the ocean floor. The Chee who had found it were waiting for me to arrive, doubtless because they did not wish to distress any survivors.

I saw Erek start to descend, he motioned to me to follow. We swam lower, down into the abyss. While sharks were used to swimming into deep water, Andalites are not. It took a non-trivial amount of effort to calm myself and let the shark do what it evolved to do. As we descended, the water around us became darker. I could still perceive movement in the distance, doubtless smaller creatures wanting nothing to do with the large shark swimming closer.

Slowly, in the water below shone a light that got brighter and brighter. I sped up, encouraged by the sight. As we approached the sight became clearer. The Dome had survived relatively intact. Its powered systems were functional. Inside I sagged with relief. I had wanted to believe, I had hoped. But I dared not accept Aximili's survival until I saw it with my own eyes. It had been less than 72 Earth hours since the Dome had crashed. The likelihood of his survival, given the Dome's condition, was now quite high.

[Thank you, Robert. Thank you so much.] I told Robert. [You have given me so much hope. So much more to hope for.]

[Aww, c'mon Elfangor! I told you, I'm just saying what anyone would with the knowledge I have.] Robert replied. I could feel his embarrassment. Had he a human body no doubt he would be blushing.

As we came closer I could see a single tiny Andalite figure. Alone in the wide meadowed expanse of the Dome.

[Aximili.] I called out. I sent all my worry, all my love out with that message. [Aximili.]

I waited for a response.

[Aximili are you there?]

There was silence. I saw the figure twitch. Was this not Aximili? Had my little brother perished after all?

I was an Andalite Prince. I had commanded warriors into hopeless battles more times than I cared to remember. I had lived and lost a life before this one. I would greet this Andalite survivor with gladness in my hearts and endure. Anything less would be selfish-

[ELFANGOR? IS THAT YOU?]

**I'd appreciate any notes on whether you think I've captured an Andalite's POV properly. There are quite a few other Andalite POVs I plan to cycle through in this arc.**


End file.
